Sleeping Patterns
by 0lizzybennet0
Summary: Jack shares a hotel room with Ianto not long after the events of Cyberwoman, changing his views towards him.


**A one-shot *cooes and pats it* A different version of Countrycide, basically just a change in Jack and Ianto's relationship after the Lisa episode. Each section is a different night.**

'I'll take the room with Ianto then,' Jack stuck his foot on the door and pushed it open, heaving his bag into the hotel room.

'I can take the single room,' Ianto hesitated out in the corridor.

'Single's mine,' Owen shoved past him roughly, bags balanced in front.

'And that's what he always says,' Jack called from the room, wincing with a grin as a smaller bag sailed over his head. A yell from outside and the sound of Owen running came as Tosh discovered her handbag missing. Looking over his shoulder he saw a shadow hesitating in the corridor. 'Ianto, get in and dump your bags,' he said shortly. He watched as the young man reluctantly placed his bag in a neat pile beside his bed, glancing around silently. 'I'm going to head down to the local shops, you coming with me or staying?'

'Staying,' Ianto muttered, unpacking his bags.

Giving the room a once over glance, Jack left Ianto alone. 'Owen,' he knocked on the opposite door, 'Ianto's staying here.'

TW

'You love it,' Jack poked Gwen incessantly with his toe, 'you know you do, admit it.'

'Jack!' Gwen seized a pillow and thumped it down on his legs, 'Move your feet!'

'Alright,' with a loud snap, Owen set his cards down, 'you kids going to put anything down?'

'Me!' With a triumphant cry Gwen waved her cards, swatting away Jack's feet as he tried to wrestle her back down.

'Ianto,' Tosh leaned back with a tentative smile, 'do you want to play?' Removing his hand from around Gwen's throat, Jack glanced over at the man sat quietly on the bed behind them. Ianto flicked his eyes up to Jack's cool gaze, then looked away and gave a soft no to Tosh. Jack watched him quietly for a moment then turned his attention back to the game.

'So,' Jack sprawled out on his back, 'looking forward to venturing out into the countryside?'

'If Rhys-' Gwen frowned momentarily at her card choice, '-hasn't burnt the house down yet. I've already had three phone calls asking about how to use the dryer.'

'We've only been away for 5 hours,' Owen scoffed.

'What was that about your shirt shrinking two sizes, Owen?' Tosh asked innocently, shooting Owen a small smile. Jack chuckled and watched his team erupt into a loud squabble.

'I'm going out for a coffee,' Ianto said quietly behind him. With a grunt Jack levered himself off the floor, nudging Tosh's back playfully before following Ianto. 'I'm not going anywhere,' the young man in front said, looking over his shoulder at Jack.

'Probation,' Jack dug his hands into his coat pockets.

'We're in the middle of no-where,' Ianto commented expressionlessly, opening the door for Jack.

'Rules,' his breath frosted in the cold air. Pulling his coat tighter Jack tucked his chin down and strode along beside Ianto.

'How long for?'

'Until I'm satisfied,' Jack found himself fixed with a cool stare, 'that I know anything else you're hiding,' he added brusquely.

TW

'You planning on sleeping at all?' Jack asked shortly, drawing back his sheets and sliding into bed. Across the room Ianto looked up from his book, twitching a humourless smile before returning attention to his book. 'I'm safe to sleep around,' Jack said with a bite of sarcasm, pulling up the spare blanket, 'you _can _turn off that light eventually.' There was no response, Ianto just angled his body away from Jack and kept reading. Snorting to himself, Jack closed his eyes.

TW

There were cracks along the ceiling, Jack traced them idly with his eyes in the dark. The red glowing clock light illuminated half his face as he stared blankly across the room. With a rustle of sheets, he stretched and curled up his legs, wincing as his knee hit the unfamiliar wall with a crack. There was a startled gasp from across the room.

'Just me,' Jack murmured, rolling onto his side. Ianto made no reply and Jack lifted his head curiously, peering across the cabinet to watch the sleeping man. Curled into a tight ball Ianto's breath started to come out in pants, eyes roving wildly under closed lids and flickering expressions crossing his face. About to turn away, Jack heard him sob softly. He made no move, watching expressionlessly for several minutes as tears trickled down Ianto's contorted face, his body shaking under the sheet. Ianto's tremors grew in intensity, low moans coming from him as he sobbed raggedly and shook his head. Pale white hands in the dark clutched at the pillow before with a scream his eyes flew open. There was silence, then Ianto drew a gasping breath and staggered out of bed to the bathroom.

Jack clenched his jaw and stared at the ceiling. Eventually unsteady feet pattered back into the room, there was a rustle of clothes then the door quietly shut.

TW

Soft whimpers and thrashing under the sheets woke Jack. Rolling over, he faced the wall and closed his eyes again. Ianto started to cry. Flinging back the sheets, Jack walked across to Ianto's bed, placing a cautious hand on the young man's shoulder and shaking. Lips parted with a ragged gasp and Ianto's eyes flew open in panic, Jack almost flinched as the fear in Ianto's eyes grew upon looking at him. Harsh breathing sounded loudly in the silence, tears still slowly tracking down his face to pool on the pillow. Closing his eyes again, Ianto bit his lip and rolled to face the wall, tremors still wracking his body. Jack sighed and dropped to the bed beside him, propping his back against the wall and simply laying a hand on Ianto's shoulder.

Jack woke in the morning with a stiff neck and Ianto curled in the furthest corner of the bed, however a tentative hand was looped over Jack's knee, a grip for comfort.

TW

With a sigh, Jack threw back his covers and padded across the carpet to Ianto's bed. He placed a light hand on Ianto's shoulder, feeling the tremors before lifting the sheets. The mattress dipped as Jack crawled in, Ianto slumped towards the dip and Jack closed his eyes briefly as Ianto's back pressed into his chest. 'Come on,' Jack murmured, sliding a hand over Ianto's waist and drawing him closer. He drifted off to the feel of soft hair tucked under his chin and a warm weight curled in his arms.

In the morning Jack slipped back to his own bed.

TW

The muted sobbing woke him the next night. Jack pulled on a t-shirt and fumbled his way across to Ianto, slipping behind him he lightly touched his forehead to Ianto's neck and pressed a palm to his back.

TW

Jack was waiting, watching silently as the figure opposite started to twitch uncomfortably. The murmuring was just beginning as Jack settled beside him, hands going to the usual place on Ianto's shoulder blades and his cheek against the cool skin of Ianto's neck.

TW

'Shh,' Jack murmured absently, rubbing a hand warmly down Ianto's back. With a quivering sigh Ianto shifted around to face Jack, head burrowing forward to rest under his chin and hands clasped loosely to his own chest. Jack closed his eyes sadly and enveloped Ianto's delicate feeling hands in his own, trying to ignore the affectionate murmur this produced from the young man. A cold foot curled around his ankle.

TW

The nightmares started, this time fading quickly away to incoherent burbles as the familiar weight of Jack appeared in the bed. Jack allowed Ianto to snuggle contentedly into him, arms draped over his side as he murmured softly into Jack's chest. Jack bit back a small smile as Ianto continued talking in slurred Welsh.

TW

It was definitely Jack. It was slurred and muffled against said man's t-shirt, but the soft mutter was definitely "Jack". Ianto's arms tightened and he hummed happily. Jack cupped the back of his head and idly wound his fingers through smooth hair.

TW

'I'm coming,' Jack muttered, shivering in the cold as he moved towards Ianto. Immediately a solid body pressed against him, feet sliding over Jack's calves and a cold nose pressing into Jack's neck. 'God you're cold,' Jack murmured, rubbing warmly over Ianto's bare back. He stopped in surprise as Ianto made an odd noise, Jack raised his eyebrow and grinned into the dark room. 'I'd say that was a purr, Mr Jones,' he said quietly, one hand moving experimentally again. With a distinctive purr, Ianto moved forward. Jack's eyebrow shot even higher, a smaller hand sliding over his waist to drape possessively over his hip. Jack closed his eyes with an amused smile.

TW

It wasn't crying that woke Jack. It wasn't screaming or thud of limbs against the wall. It was a warm weight draped over his back and a rhythmic breath on his neck. Craning his head, Jack heard an unhappy murmur at the movement and arms held him firmly in place in his own bed. Shaking his head, Jack rested back on the pillow.

TW

Something tangled around his legs, nets pulled him down, trapped him. With a hoarse scream Jack ripped his way free, they were still coming, more nets pressing down on his body. It wasn't just him. There were more. He could see them all. He could hear the screams.

With a pant Jack's eyes snapped open. The silence rang in his ears, eyes staring widely at the bed as he bent over his knees.

'Jack,' someone murmured beside him, a cool hand rested lightly on his spine.

Jack smiled faintly and rested his cheek on his raised knees, turning his head to look into concerned shadowed eyes. 'Ianto,' he said simply.

'Shove over,' Ianto's lips quirked into a small smile. Jack dipped his head and smiled, lifting the blankets and sheets up. Long cold legs pressed against his as Ianto slipped into bed beside him.

'Thanks,' Jack murmured eventually, head pillowed on Ianto's arm.

'Returning the favour,' Ianto's breath tickled his neck. Tilting his head, Jack pressed a warm kiss to the hollow of his throat, rolling over to curl himself around Ianto's body. 'Thank you, Jack,' Ianto said softly, splaying his hand over Jack's back.

'I'm sorry, and I'm not sorry.'

Ianto rubbed Jack's arm. 'Me too.' He kissed Jack's temple comfortingly.

**The joys of folder cleaning. Wrote this one about a year ago, newly rediscovered.**


End file.
